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Tibetan
The Buddhist traditions of Tibet and the Himalayas — combining scholastic study, monastic discipline, and Vajrayāna practice.
Tibetan Buddhism developed after Buddhism entered the Tibetan plateau from India and Nepal, especially from the seventh century onward. It preserves Indian Mahāyāna philosophy and the tantric systems known as Vajrayāna, alongside a rich culture of debate, translation, and monastic universities.
The tradition is often organized into major schools — Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug — with additional movements such as Bon (in its Buddhist-influenced forms), Shambhala, and Diamond Way present in the West. Shared features include guru yoga, deity practice, mantra, and the gradual path from preliminary practices (ngöndro) to advanced meditation.
Exile after 1959 carried Tibetan Buddhism worldwide. Today FPMT centers, Karma Kagyu organizations, Nyingma temples, and independent sanghas offer study and practice across North America and Europe.
Practices
Ngöndro (preliminary practices)
Prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra, mandala offerings, and guru yoga that prepare the mind for deeper tantric work.
Deity yoga & mantra
Visualization and recitation practices associated with awakened forms such as Avalokiteśvara, Tārā, and Padmasambhava.
Analytical meditation
Scholastic contemplation of emptiness, dependent arising, and the stages of the path (*lamrim*).
Retreat
Short and long solitary or group retreats, including traditional three-year retreats in some lineages.
Texts
The Words of My Perfect Teacher
Patrul Rinpoche
Classic Nyingma guide to the preliminaries.
Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand
Pabongka Rinpoche
Influential Gelug lamrim presentation.
- When Things Fall Apart
Pema Chödrön
Contemporary Kagyu-inspired teachings for daily life.